(WSB photos)
This morning at Westside School (WSB sponsor) in Arbor Heights, dozens of students gathered for a special delivery: Hundreds of coho-salmon eggs brought by Judy Pickens as part of this year’s deliveries for “Salmon in the Schools.” A dozen local schools, public and private, are participating this year, Judy says; the eggs she and husband Phil Sweetland picked up at a hatchery are timed to hatch within the next two weeks or so. At Westside, second-grade teacher Margie Carpenter put the eggs in their aquarium after a 10-minute iodine bath to be sure they hadn’t brought along any organisms that might hurt the fish when they hatch:

Students at the participating schools will tend to the resulting fry for the next few months, and then go to Fauntleroy Creek in May to release them. Judy says, “During that time, they will learn about fish biology, habitat, culture, and economic importance in this region, cultivating writing, math, chemistry, and other monitoring skills.” Around King County, 160 schools are expected to participate in Salmon in the Schools this year. Salmon watch at Fauntleroy Creek continues year-round, meantime, culminating each year in the watch for returning coho – none last fall, as happens some years.